Sharkscope is a very useful tool for any online poker player looking to improve their results. Launched several years ago, Sharkscope quickly became the go-to reference for analyzing other players' performances, tracking your results in real-time, and gaining a better understanding of your own gameplay.
What makes Sharkscope so powerful is its ability to gather data from millions of games, giving you access to valuable statistics about yourself and your opponents.
<span class="inarticle_section">🔎 Sharkscope allows you to get statistics not only on other players but also on yourself, helping you better understand your way of playing.</span>
Sharkscope offers a multitude of features that allow you to analyze every aspect of your game and that of your opponents. Here are the most important ones:
Because analytical tools have become an integral part of poker success. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced player, using Sharkscope gives you a significant competitive advantage over your opponents.
Moreover, Sharkscope is an evolving tool, and thanks to its latest updates, it offers a more intuitive interface, deeper analyses, and access to more up-to-date data.
<span class="inarticle_section">♣️ Poker Sciences’ Opinion: Sharkscope is a very interesting tool for any player who wants to better understand and improve their game.</span>
Starting with Sharkscope is simple. After creating your account (optional), take the time to familiarize yourself with the interface. Start by searching for your own username to see your personal statistics—it’s always informative and often surprising!
Next, explore the different sections: player search, graphs, and filters. Don’t worry if it seems complex at first, Sharkscope is designed to be accessible, even to new users.
You can watch this YouTube tutorial created by the Sharkscope team to help you get started. It’s a bit dated, but the core principles remain the same.
As you start using Sharkscope, you’ll come across many graphs showing various players' earnings. Here are some of the best winning curves (winning players) and the worst (losing players).
In the poker world, beautiful Sharkscope curves are not just aesthetically pleasing. They tell a story of consistency, discipline, and success. Graphs that rise steadily, without too many dips, are the sign of a solid player who has mastered their emotions and adopted a winning strategy. Here are a few of them.
On the other hand, sharp downward graphs show you what not to do. A steep descending line, extreme peaks, and valleys are often signs of unstable play, regular tilting, poor bankroll management, or unfortunately, a poker addiction.
These extreme examples remain interesting as they raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy approach to poker.
The average buy-in of a player is, for example, a valuable indicator to understand their profile.
A player with a low average buy-in but who occasionally plays in high buy-in tournaments might display a "scared money" attitude: they enter games beyond their means and will likely play too cautiously or nervously.
In contrast, a regular player usually stands out with a large number of games, a consistent average buy-in, and positive winnings. These players are more experienced and know how to adjust their play according to the situation.
<span class="inarticle_section">🔎 By observing these characteristics, you can anticipate an opponent's playstyle and adjust your strategy, for example, exploiting the caution of "scared money" or avoiding risky plays against strong regular players.</span>
One of the best ways to improve at poker is to have the courage to confront your own performance, and Sharkscope gives you that opportunity. By analyzing your own statistics and graphs, you can identify your leaks and correct them before they become too costly.
For example: if you notice that your graph tends to drop consistently in KO tournaments, it could indicate that you're misadjusting your strategy, perhaps taking too many risks to collect knockouts.
<span class="inarticle_section">☝🏻 Still, be cautious and avoid drawing quick conclusions from a sample size that is too small.</span>
The Sharkscope rankings are an excellent tool for measuring your progress compared to other players. By consulting the various leaderboards, you can see where you stand, for example, in your buy-in category or the type of tournament you play.
By default, Sharkscope allows you to perform 5 free searches per day. If you want to do more, there are various subscription plans available.
Sharkscope offers several subscription levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
You also have the option to buy the HandTracker separately for a lifetime for $99.
<span class="inarticle_section">♣️ Poker Sciences' Opinion: If you play regularly and want to maximize your earnings, the Gold subscription is often the best choice. For occasional players who don't want to commit to a subscription, purchasing the HandTracker, particularly for its leak detection feature, can be a good option.</span>
The Sharkscope HUD (Heads-Up Display) is a very handy tool for online players who want real-time information about their opponents. The HUD displays valuable statistics on your screen about your opponents, such as their win rate, aggression, and betting habits, allowing you to adjust your strategy instantly.
If you want to know more about the HUD, you can watch this vidéo created by the Sharkscope team.
As mentioned above, in addition to the subscriptions, Sharkscope offers its tracker for $99 (one-time payment). This tracker includes a leak detector, a tool designed to analyze your own mistakes and help you correct them. This feature pinpoints exactly where you're losing money, by examining critical aspects of your game such as:
For a detailed demonstration of this leak detector, you can watch the Sharkscope Desktop Leak Detector video. It shows you how to set up this tool and use it to refine different aspects of your game.
The value of Sharkscope depends on your volume of play and your ability to use the data to improve your performance.
For regular tournament players, the premium features provide a clear return on investment in terms of knowing the field and tracking progress.
For occasional players, the free plan (5 searches per day) or a basic subscription may be sufficient.
No, Sharkscope is primarily focused on tournaments and Sit & Go. For cash game players, tools like PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager are much more suited as they offer detailed hand analysis and specific statistics for this format.
Sharkscope is a legal tool used by many online poker players to track their performances and those of their opponents. It is allowed by most poker sites worldwide.
Sharkscope covers the majority of online tournaments, but there may be exceptions depending on the sites and formats. To ensure that your favorite tournaments are included, check Sharkscope’s search options or contact their support team for more details.
The Ability Score is a measure developed by Sharkscope that evaluates a player's skill level compared to their peers. This score takes into account past results, performance consistency, and other key factors to give an overview of a player's skill level.
The higher your Ability Score, the more you’ll be perceived as a proficient player, making it a good indicator to track your progress over time.
If you're looking to research other players, Sharkscope remains the gold standard.
If you're more interested in the HUD or tracker (especially the leak detector), several alternatives to Sharkscope, like PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager, offer similar features but with different approaches.
Finally, if you're a cash game player, since Sharkscope doesn't cover that format, PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager are better options.
To access Sharkscope, visit the official website where you can create an account and choose the subscription that suits you. Depending on your choice, you’ll have access to the download links.
To stay informed about the latest updates and tips, you can follow Sharkscope on their social media platforms like X, Facebook, and YouTube. There, you’ll find regular tips, game analyses, and news about online poker.
